RATIFIED  AND  MADE  PUBLIC 

CONFIDENTIAL. 

2d  Session.     (  1  O. 


63D  CONGRESS,  )  CONFIDENTIAL.  EXECUTIVE 

j 


ADVANCEMENT  OF  THE  CAUSE  OF  GENERAL  PEACE— 
WITH  NICARAGUA. 


MESSAGE 

FROM   THE 


PRESIDENT  OF  THE  UNITED  STATES, 

TRANSMITTING 

A  TREATY  BETWEEN  THE  UNITED  STATES  AND  NICARAGUA  LOOK- 
ING TO  THE  ADVANCEMENT  OF  THE  CAUSE  OF  GENERAL  PEACE, 
SIGNED  AT  WASHINGTON  DECEMBER  17,  1913. 


JULY  24,  1914. — Message  read;  convention  read  the  first  time  and  referred  to  the 
Committee  on  Foreign  Relations,  and,  together  with  the  message,  ordered  to  be 
printed  in  confidence  for  the  use  of  the  Senate. 


To  the  Senate: 

I  transmit  herewith,  with  a  view  to  receiving  the  advice  and  consent 
of  the  Senate  to  its  ratification,  a  treaty  between  the  United  States 
and  Nicaragua  loci: Ing  to  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  general 
peace,  signed  at  Washington  on  December  17,  1913. 

WOODROW  WILSON. 
THE  WHITE  HOUSE, 

Washington,  July  24,  1914- 


The  PRESIDENT: 

The  undersigned,  the  Secretary  of  State,  has  the  honor  to  lay 
before  the  President,  to  the  end  that,  should  his  judgment  approve 
thereof,  it  be  transmitted  to  the  Senate  with  a  view  to  receiving  the 
advice  and  consent  of  that  body  to  its  ratification,  a  treaty  between 
the  United  States  and  Nicaragua  looking  to  the  advancement  of  the 
cause  of  general  peace,  signed  at  Washington  on  December  17,  1913. 

Respectfully  submitted. 

W.  J.  BRYAN. 

DEPARTMENT  OF  STATE, 

Washington,  July  23,  1914. 


The  United  States  of  America  and  the  Republic  of  Nicaragua, 
being  desirous  to  strengthen  the  bonds  of  amity  that  bind  them  to- 
gether and  also  to  advance  the  cause  of  general  peace,  have  resolved 
to  enter  into  a  treaty  for  that  purpose  and  to  that  end  have  appointed 
as  their  plenipotentiaries: 

The  President  of  the  United  States,  the  Honorable  William  Jen- 
nings Bryan,  Secretary  of  State;  and 

The  President  of  Nicaragua,  Scfior  General  Don  Emiliano  Cha- 
morro,  Envoy  .Extraordinary  and  Minister  Plenipotentiary  of  Nica- 
ragua to  the  United  States; 

Who,  after  having  communicated  to  each  other  their  respective 
full  powers,  found  to  be  in  proper  form,  have  agreed  upon  the  follow- 
ing articles: 

AKTICLE  I. 

The  high  contracting  parties  agree  that  all  disputes  between  them, 
of  every  nature  whatsoever,  which  diplomacy  shall  fail  to  adjust, 
shall  be  submitted  for  investigation  and  report  to  an  International 
Commission,  to  be  constituted  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  the  next 
succeeding  Article;  and  they  a^ree  not  to  declare  war  or  begin 
hostilities  during  such  investigation  and  report. 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  International  Commission  shall  be  composed  of  five  members, 
to  be  appointed  as  follows:  One  member  shall  be  chosen  from  each 
country,  by  the  Government  thereof;  one  member  shall  be  chosen 
by  each  Government  from  some  third  country;  the  fifth  member  shall 
be  chosen  by  common  agreement  between  the  two  Governments. 
The  expenses  of  the  Commission  shall  be  paid  by  the  two  Govern- 
ments in  equal  proportion. 

The  International  Commission  shall  be  appointed  within  four 
months  after  the  exchange  of  the  ratifications  of  this  treaty;  and 
vacancies  shall  be  filled  according  to  the  manner  of  the  original 
appointment. 

ARTICLE  III. 

In  case  the  high  contracting  parties  shall  have  failed  to  adjust  a 
dispute  by  diplomatic  methods,  they  shall  at  once  refer  it  to  the 
International  Commission  for  investigation  and  report.  The  Inter- 
national Commission  may,  however,  act  upon  its  own  initiative, 
and  in  such  case  it  shall  notify  both  Governments  and  request  their 
cooperation  in  the  investigation. 

The  report  of  the  International  Commission  shall  be  completed 
within  one  year  after  the  date  on  which  it  shall  declare  its  investiga- 
tion to  have  begun,  unless  the  high  contracting  parties  shall  extend 
the  time  by  mutual  agreement.  The  report  shall  be  prepared  in 
triplicate;  one  copy  shall  be  presented  to  each  Government,  and  the 
third  retained  by  the  Commission  for  its  files. 

The  high  contracting  parties  reserve  the  right  to  act  independently 
on  the  subject-matter  of  the  dispute  after  the  report  of  the  Commis- 
sion shall  have  been  submitted. 


ARTICLE  IV. 

Pending  the  investigation  and  report  of  the  International  Com- 
mission, the  high  contracting  parties  agree  not  to  increase  their 
military  or  naval  programs,  unless  danger  from  a  third  power  should 
compel  such  increase,  in  which  case  the  party  feeling  itself  menaced 
shall  confidentially  communicate  the  fact  in  writing  to  the  other 
contracting  party,  whereupon  the  latter  shall  also  be  released  from 
its  obligation  to  maintain  its  military  and  naval  status  quo. 

ARTICLE  V. 

The  present  treaty  shall  be  ratified  by  the  President  of  the  United 
States  of  America,  by  and  with  the  advice  and  consent  of  the  Senate 
thereof;  and  by  the  Congress  of  the  Republic  of  Nicaragua;  and  the 
ratifications  shall  be  exchanged  as  soon  as  possible.  It  shall  take 
effect  immediately  after  the  exchange  of  ratifications,  and  shall  con- 
tinue in  force  for  a  period  of  five  years;  and  it  shall  thereafter  remain 
in  force  until  twelve  months  after  one  of  the  high  contracting  parties 
have  given  notice  to  the  other  of  an  intention  to  terminate  it. 

In  witness  whereof  the  respective  plenipotentiaries  have  signed 
the  present  treaty  and  have  affixed  thereunto  their  seals. 

Done  in  Washington  on  the  17th  day  of  December,  in  the  year  of 
our  Lord  nineteen  hundred  and  thirteen.  <_ 

[SEAL.]  WILLIAM  JENNINGS  BRYAN. 

[SEAL.]  EMILIANO  CHAMORRO. 


o 


PAT.  JAN.  2 1.1 908 


